#13,505
Although I tend to concentrate primarily on human and/or zoonotic diseases in the blog, there is no denying that agricultural diseases can still have an impact on the public's health and well being.
We've discussed previously in this blog that food insecurity - whether due to disease, floods, droughts, or other causes - can pose both severe economic, societal, and even political challenges (see Iran: Bird Flu, Food Insecurity & Civil Unrest).For the past 5+ weeks we've been following the introduction and spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) into China, and last Sunday - in Japan: MAFF Confirms Classical Swine Fever Outbreak - we saw Japan report their first outbreak of a similar disease - CSF - in 26 years.
Japan was just one of 35 (see map below) that has been certified by the OIE as being free of the disease, a status they no longer enjoy (see OIE Statement)
Today the UK's DEFRA has published an assessment of Japan's outbreak, and while the risk of introduction of CSF (from any region) to the UK is considered very low at this time, urges the `prompt reporting of suspect disease in pigs, and the implementation and maintenance of appropriate biosecurity measures'.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal and Plant Health Agency
Advice Services - International Disease Monitoring
Outbreak assessment #1
11 September 2018
Ref: VITT/1200 CSF in Domestic Swine, Japan 2018
Classical Swine Fever in domestic swine in Japan
Disease report
Japan has reported an outbreak of Classical Swine Fever, in Gifu province, in a farm of 610 fattening and breeding pigs (OIE, 2018a; see map). On 9 th September, officials reported that CSF had been confirmed by RT-PCR. Culling is now completed on the affected farm, and movement restrictions have been applied within the 3km and 10 km zones. The last occurrence of CSF in Japan was in 1992.
To date, the Japanese Veterinary Services have ruled out the occurrence of African Swine Fever (ASF) in this outbreak or in the country.
Situation assessment
CSF is considered endemic in many countries, including China and other countries in SE Asia, and commercial vaccines are available for CSF control. CSF has not been reported in the EU for several years, and only sporadically in West Russia. The latest outbreak in Russia was reported in July 2018.
The last CSF outbreak in Japan was in 1992 in Kumamoto Prefecture, and in 2007 the use of vaccination was banned, and disease eradication was declared in the country. The OIE disease free status was adopted at the World Assembly of Delegates in May 2015 but this has now been suspended (OIE, 2018b).
At this point, the source of virus introduction is unknown and under investigation. However, the very early detection of this event may be partially due to the increased awareness in Japan in response to the ASF outbreaks in China. Last week the FAO warned that ASF was almost certain to spread from China to other Asian countries (Promed) and this has prompted the heightened awareness.
The Gifu province is not the major area of swine production, and it is located 500 miles from the south region, the area of Japan with the highest pig density, nevertheless, Japanese wild boar are present throughout the island of Honshu and may be a risk factor in the introduction of virus (https://inohoi.com/animal-damage/103).
Exports of pork have been suspended by the Japanese Government until the Japanese Veterinary Services understand the extent of the outbreak, and while epidemiological investigations about possible routes of introduction are undertaken.
Japan is not on the list of approved countries for the imports of pork meat or pig products to the EU.
Conclusions
Currently, we consider there to be a negligible likelihood of introduction of CSF virus from Japan to the UK via legal trade as a result of this outbreak. The risk level for the UK is very low for an incursion from any endemic region, because of the potential for infected pig meat or contaminated items to be introduced via passengers or through illegal trade.
We continue to emphasise the importance of prompt reporting of suspect disease in pigs, and the implementation and maintenance of appropriate biosecurity measures, particularly considering the risk of disease spread by fomite transmission and strict compliance with the swill feeding ban.
We will continue to monitor the situation.
For a DEFRA assessment on China's recent introduction of African Swine Fever see last week's DEFRA Raises Risk Of Importing ASF To UK To `Medium'.
And for the FAO's analysis, see FAO: African Swine Fever (ASF) `Here to Stay' In Asia
